Tag: brawny sherpa

Staying in Rome near the Spanish Steps

A moonlit view just steps from the entrance of the Hotel Scalinata di Spagna Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Could You Get Any Closer than the Scalinata di Spagna? With less than 24 hours to spend in Rome, the Brawny Sherpa and I would need to be strategic in selecting a hotel so that we could see those last…

What to Order at Russia House

A shot of Imperia vodka launches a very smooth evening at Washington, D.C.'s Russia House Restaurant and Lounge. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

On a quick trip to the District of Columbia with the Brawny Sherpa and the most senior of our youthful adventurers, we opt for dinner at the Russia House both for its convenience — located in close proximity to the Washington…

A Flatiron Fling

flatiron building

A Quick Stay in the East 20s at Fifth Avenue, Manhattan The problem with living near New York City is the same as the problem with living in New York City: One tends to limit oneself to a particular neighborhood,…

Vegan Manhattan: Candle 79

Chocolate peanut butter mousse at Candle 79 in Manhattan

Eating Sustainably in New York City Informed that we had reservations at Candle 79 on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, the Brawny Sherpa, a very committed carnivore, could be heard muttering, “Here we go; it’s going to be $200…

Finding Napoleon beyond France

Napoleon left some cannons behind when the French fled Moscow. This cannon is in the Kremlin. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.

Enamored with the French Revolution on my visit to Paris, I pay scant attention to Napoleon during my time there. Stopping by at Les Invalides, I focus more on a car show on its grounds than to the tomb of…

Whiskey and Sliders in Midtown West

Will a visit to American Whiskey in Midtown Manhattan please herbivores, carnivores, and flat-out picky eaters? The Bashful Adventurer finds out. Photo credit: V. Laino

Eating near Madison Square Garden All of the youthful adventurers are joining the Brawny Sherpa and me for a quick bite in Midtown Manhattan before some of them head to a concert at Madison Square Garden. With a sometime vegan,…

Out at Pound Ridge

Inn at Pound Ridge

Given all of the positive publicity Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Inn at Pound Ridge has received, there’s probably little to no way the place could ever live up to its larger-than-life expectations. For those who remember the tiredness of earlier iterations of…

I Say ‘Rice Pudding,’ You Say ‘Milk Tofu’

milk tofu

Lately, I feel like I need a course in restaurant marketing just to help me understand what I order when I order it. My 92-year-old grandmother always chuckles when I mention eating polenta at a restaurant; it’s what she called…